When Finley Strikes
by Amithedragontrainer
Summary: There's a good reason Finley isn't really allowed to visit Emma at the hospital, and Leo's about to find out why. [One-shot]


"Hi!"

Leo was used to living in the children's ward, but for some reason it was the children themselves that always surprised him. His neck crackled painfully as he jerked his head to look at the door to his room. A girl - eleven? Twelve? Thirteen? He didn't bother guessing - was standing in his doorway, beaming.

Leo went for his best I-just-got-told-I-have-more-cancer-a-few-days-ago smile. It wasn't much. "Hi. Can I help you?" He gripped the wheels of his chair as he spoke, pulling them so that he turned to face the door.

"Are you Jordi or Leo?" Her head tilted slightly as she squinted at him. She hadn't noticed the lack of a leg yet, but it was only a matter of time.

"Ah, I'm Leo?" It came out like a question. Why was this girl here?

Her eyebrows slid up her forehead as she grinned wider. Leo recognized the grin. One of those mischievous grins where Kara was about to deliver a snappy comment, or Dash had found a patient willing to supply something good, or Jordi had thought of a good way to tease Leo. "_Ohh, _you're _Leo!" _the girl crowed. Her hands went to her hips. For a fleeting moment, Leo felt like an open bag of treats discovered by an eager puppy.

Allowing a slightly sarcastic smirk to twist his lips, the teen raised his eyebrows at her in response. "And you are?"

"Finley!" She stuck her hand out. The name was familiar, and Leo paused in thought before taking her hand and shaking it tentatively.

Her grin widened more, and Leo decided to prod this girl for answers. "Well, Finley, are you a visitor or a new resident?"

She shook her head, her high ponytail swinging wildly. "I'm visiting my sister," she said cooly. Her grin suddenly morphed into a huge smirk. "You probably know her," Finley crooned, pointing at him.

"I'm not sure I do. Pretty crowded here." He didn't want to think about how depressing that was. "Maybe a name would help…"

Finley tried to conceal her smug attitude. Leaning against the wall, she hooked her thumbs in her jeans' pockets and allowed her eyebrows to return to their normal position. Eyes focused on him and lips twitching with a smile, she said cooly, "Emma Chota?"

Oh.

_Oh._

Leo managed to stay calm, much to Finley's apparent disappointment. "Oh, yeah, Emma. I think she's mentioned you."

Getting over her disappointment quickly, Finley bounced on her toes. "Well, Emma never mentions you."

His stomach dropped, but Leo tried to not let it bother him. Emma was never home much, and she was a very closed book. "Hm." Then something sparked in his brain. "So how do you know me?"

"Emma and my parents are in therapy. I found her journal in her room."

Leo almost choked. "You definitely shouldn't be reading her stuff," he said, trying not to glare at her. He settled for a stern gaze.

"It's so boring," Finley groaned, taking a few steps closer. "Calories this, and fat intake that. But there is at least one important thing in there." Her smirk returned. Leo realized how much, in a way, the two girls resembled each other. He had never imagined a smirk on Emma's face. Was this how it looked?

"Oh?" he managed, keeping his composure.

"_Oh, Leo, Leo, wherefore art thou, Leo?" _the girl jeered, bouncing on her toes and draping a wrist across her forehead.

Leo frowned initially. "You do realize that means 'why is he Leo', right?" Geez, Emma was rubbing off on him. Hadn't she told him that once? On a date. Because she liked him. And he was in her journal.

_Oh, how badly he wanted to ask her what Emma had written._

But Leo had too much restraint. "Those are her personal thoughts, and I don't want to hear them," he insisted, feeling his eyes narrow with determination.

Finley scowled, all glee gone as she realized she didn't have anything to hold over him. "Nothing?"

"Nothing," Leo confirmed.

The girl spun, stomping out of his room and down the hall. "Nice meeting you," Leo called after her. He waited until she was out of eyesight to let the tiniest, barely giddy smile bloom on his face. "I'm in her journal…"


End file.
